WhatsApp has worked on adding support for chat themes more than once, and a feature tracker has now given us a glimpse of what the feature might look like when it launches. The messaging app is expected to allow users to change the color of chat bubbles as well as the background using preset themes or choose their own color and background image. The company has also been seen working on the ability to choose a username and set a PIN that will protect them from unknown users on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Theme Picker for iOS discovered in development
Earlier this month, feature tracker WABetaInfo spotted a new theme picker in development on an earlier beta version of WhatsApp for Android. While the picker didn’t include any themes in that version, the WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.17.10.71 includes a preview of some of those themes.
WhatsApp’s theme selection on iOS
Photo credit: WABetaInfo
When the feature eventually rolls out, WhatsApp will offer users 10 preset themes to choose from, according to the feature tracker. Some screenshots of the theme picker in action show two horizontally scrolling rows of themes. The top row contains solid-colored backgrounds, while the bottom row contains landscape art-based themes — all the themes have chat bubble colors based on the color of the background.
It’s important to note that the theme picker isn’t currently available to beta testers as it’s still under development, so even if you’ve installed the latest WhatsApp for iOS beta via TestFlight, you’ll still have to wait until the feature is ready for testing. WABetaInfo claims that these themes will only be seen by the user who applies them, unlike Instagram and Messenger where the same theme is shown to all chat participants.
WhatsApp username PIN feature appears in latest beta version
WhatsApp has developed a username feature that allows users to start new conversations without revealing their phone numbers, but this feature is yet to be released to beta testers. It seems that the company is currently working on a feature that will protect users from unwanted contacts after setting up a username.
Selecting the username and PIN on WhatsApp
Photo credit: WABetaInfo
According to WABetaInfo, the recently released WhatsApp Android 2.24.18.2 beta update includes details about an enhanced “Username PIN” picker. Users will reportedly be shown a prompt to set up a PIN after setting a unique username on WhatsApp.
The WhatsApp feature tracker claims that this feature will allow users to set a new passcode that they will need to share with others in order to start a new conversation using their newly set username. This will allow users to control who can message them and potentially prevent spammers and unwanted chats from reaching users.
Like the theme picker on iOS, this WhatsApp username PIN feature is still under development, which means it won’t be accessible even after downloading the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android. Both features will roll out to beta testers in the future before being made available to users on the stable channel.
